04/27/18Bun Dau Mam Tom is Fermented Shrimp Paste w/ Noodles and can probably qualify as one of the strongest smelling Vietnamese dishes around. The one served at Pho House in Duluth, GA is presented beautifully on a bamboo tray with Rice Noodles, Pork Belly slices, Fried Tofu and a selection of Herbs (basil, palm leaf) along with chili peppers, minced fresh garlic and lime. The star of the dish though is the strong smelling shrimp paste bowl located in the center of the tray. The paste is extremely salty and can be cut slightly with a squeeze of lime into the bowl. What’s so unique about this dish is how complex the shrimp paste becomes when added to the other ingredients. You start off by taking a soup spoon and scooping up a little bit of the paste as your base. Then you add pieces of the rice noodles to the spoon slightly coating each strand with the paste. Top that off with a piece of fried tofu, slice of boiled pork belly, basil and palm leaf and garnish with garlic and chili. It’s a simple preparation but when you bite into all the ingredients at once, you instantly realize that the strong paste smell no longer exists and instead you have this rush of salty, crunchy, silky, spongy, spicy and surprisingly fresh goodness. The herbs of basil and palm leaf balance out the paste smell while the noodles, tofu and pork belly absorb the saltiness making this dish very distinct. Be sure to check out this dish and bring some friends along to enjoy the various reactions and comments after trying it.